====== Paper: Toughness-enhancing metastructure in the recluse spider’s looped ribbon silk ====== ~~NOTOC~~ {| class="TableSimpleWide" |- | //**Authors from our Lab:** \_ Sean R. Koebley and [[:public:team:schniepp|Hannes C. Schniepp]]// \\ **Published:** Feb. 3, 2017 \_ | **[[:public:publications:pub-31|« prev]] | [[public:publications:|All Publications]] | [[:public:publications:pub-33|next »]] ** |} **{{ :public:publications:2017-02-06_press_release_figure_v1b.png?direct&300|}} We show that the recluse spider (Loxosceles genus) spins its 50 nm-thin silk ribbons into sacrificial micro-loops, providing inspiration for the design of toughened uniaxial metamaterials. The loops of the ribbon-like strand are anchored by silk-to-silk bonds that do not compromise the fiber's ultimate strength upon release and require no additional adhesive. The silk's thin ribbon morphology facilitates the formation of these strong yet sacrificial bonds and reduces the risk of failure due to bending. Modeling and an experimental proof of concept are used to demonstrate that a looped ribbon metastructure can considerably enhance a material's toughness.** See our **[[public:news:blog:2017-02-14_release_looped_silk|Press Release: Looped Ribbon Silk]]**. Our **{{:public:news:blog:2017_-_paper_-_recluse_ribbons_-_c6mh00473c_paper.pdf|paper}}** has been published in the journal //[[http://doi.org/10.1039/C6MH00473C|Materials Horizons]]// (2016 impact factor: 10.7). ==== Citation ==== {| class="TableSimpleWide" S. R. Koebley, F. Vollrath, H. C. Schniepp* \\ "Toughness-enhancing metastructure in the recluse spider's looped ribbon silk" \\ //Materials Horizons// **4**, 377-382 (2017) | [[this>_media/:public:news:blog:2017_-_paper_-_recluse_ribbons_-_c6mh00473c_paper.pdf |{{:public:news:blog:icon_pdf_48.png?nolink}}]] |} {| class="TableSimple" |**Manuscript:** |{{:public:news:blog:2017_-_paper_-_recluse_ribbons_-_c6mh00473c_paper.pdf |PDF Download}} |- |**Supporting Information:** | {{ public:news:blog:2017-2020:2017_-_paper_-_recluse_ribbons_-_c6mh00473c_supp-inf.pdf |PDF Download}} |- |**Contact:** |[[mailto:schniepp@wm.edu|schniepp@wm.edu]] |- |**DOI:** |[[http://doi.org/10.1039/C6MH00473C|10.1039/C6MH00473C]] |- |**Publisher's Web Page:** |[[http://doi.org/10.1039/C6MH00473C]] |} ==== Media Coverage of This Work ==== == On TV, Video, and Radio Interviews == {|class="TableItemSpc" | Mar\_2017 | The **//U.S. National Science Foundation//** produces a **[[public:news:blog:2017-03-09_nsf_science_360|video feature of our breakthrough on the loops of the brown recluse spider]]** in their //**Science Now—Science 360**// show (Episode 50). |[[public:news:blog:2017-03-09_nsf_science_360|{{public:thumbs:thum_nsf.jpg}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | //**Discovery Channel Canada]**// airs a **[[public:news:blog:2017-02-16_loops_tv|TV feature of our brown recluse looped silk discovery]]** in their science show //Daily Planet// (7:00 pm show on February 15). | [[public:news:blog:2017-02-16_loops_tv|{{ public:thumbs:thum_dailyplanet.jpg}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//BBC radio interview//**: On Feb. 20, the BBC aired a 5-minute radio interview with Prof. Schniepp on the group's recent breakthough on the looped recluse silk. Now available [[https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/deadly-spiders-web-could-make-safer-space-travel|here]] (The Naked Scientists). | [[https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/deadly-spiders-web-could-make-safer-space-travel|{{:public:thumbs:thum_bbc.png?nolink|}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//ABC Australia radio interview//**: On Feb. 24, the BBC interview was also aired on the other side of the world. Now available [[https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/deadly-spiders-web-could-make-safer-space-travel|here]] (The Naked Scientists). | [[https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/deadly-spiders-web-could-make-safer-space-travel|{{:public:thumbs:thum_abc.jpg?nolink|}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//The Naked Scientists//**, a British science podcast, features Prof. Schniepp's BBC interview on their web page, including a written story and images: [[https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/deadly-spiders-web-could-make-safer-space-travel|link]]. | [[https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/deadly-spiders-web-could-make-safer-space-travel|{{:public:thumbs:thum_naked_scientists.png?nolink|}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | The //**[[http://www.dailypress.com|Daily Press]]**// has a **[[:public:news:blog/2017-02-15_daily_press_video_interview|video feature]]** on our silk research. |[[public:news:blog:2017-02-15_daily_press_video_interview|{{public:thumbs:daily_press_thumb.jpg}}]] |} == In Print Media == {|class="TableItemSpc" |- | Feb\_2017 | **//The Daily Press//** (Hampton Roads newspaper), front page, **[[http://www.dailypress.com/news/science/dp-nws-recluse-spider-silk-update-20170214-story.html|"Recluse spider silk could hold the key to space-age materials"]]** | [[http://www.dailypress.com/news/science/dp-nws-recluse-spider-silk-update-20170214-story.html|{{ :public:thumbs:daily_press_thumb.jpg}}]] |} == Online Media == {|class="TableItemSpc" |- | Feb\_2017 | **//Chemistry World//** (The Royal Society of Chemistry), **[[https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/spider-silk-strength-is-in-the-loop/2500408.article|"Spider silk strength is in the loop"]]** | [[https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/spider-silk-strength-is-in-the-loop/2500408.article|{{ :public:thumbs:chemworld_spinneret_thumb.png}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//Oxford News//** (University of Oxford), **[[http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-02-15-deadly-spider%E2%80%99s-spinning-technique-could-inspire-tougher-materials|"Deadly spider’s spinning technique could inspire tougher materials"]]** | [[http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-02-15-deadly-spider%E2%80%99s-spinning-technique-could-inspire-tougher-materials|{{ :public:thumbs:oxford_spider_thumb.jpg}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//Inside Science//** (American Institute of Physics), **[[https://www.insidescience.org/news/loops-give-extra-toughness-recluse-spider-silk|"Loops Give Extra Toughness to Recluse Spider Silk"]]** | [[https://www.insidescience.org/news/loops-give-extra-toughness-recluse-spider-silk|{{ :public:thumbs:inside_sci_thumb.jpg}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//Seeker//**, Venomous brown recluse spiders produce incredibly strong web silk that could be copied for multiple uses, including snagging space junk: **[[http://www.seeker.com/deadly-spider-sews-industrial-strength-silk-strands-2263060761.html|"Deadly Spider Sews Industrial-Strength Silk Strands"]]** | [[http://www.seeker.com/deadly-spider-sews-industrial-strength-silk-strands-2263060761.html|{{ :public:thumbs:inside_sci_thumb.jpg}}]] |- | Feb\_2017 | **//W&M News//**, **[[http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2017/the-brown-recluse-spider-engineers-extra-strong-silk-by-spinning-loops-onto-a-flat-strand.php|"The brown recluse spider engineers extra-strong silk by spinning loops onto a flat strand"]]** | [[http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2017/the-brown-recluse-spider-engineers-extra-strong-silk-by-spinning-loops-onto-a-flat-strand.php|{{ :public:thumbs:wm_thumb.png}}]] |} ==== Links ==== * **[[:public:research:projects:silk|More about our silk research]]** * **[[:public:publications|All Publications of the Schniepp group]]**